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In This Issue:
The Liver
Thai Chicken Soup Recipe
A Client's Success
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Milk Thistle for the Liver
Milk Thistle is an herbal remedy dating back to the Greco-Roman era and is associated with liver health. The plant is commonly found in the U.S. and has pink flowers and spotted fruit. For over 2,000 years people around the world have enjoyed milk thistle in their diet. All parts of the plant have been used as food with no reports of toxicity. Milk thistle appers to be very safe, with tests showing no significant drug interactions and relatively high tolerance levels. Mild stomach upset is the only documented side effect.
Although it can be used as food, milk thistle is better known as providing medicinal benefits. It is a great tonic, increases appetite and aids in digestion. It is used by many people, including those who were addicted to alcohol to cleanse the liver. Milk thistle is used internally in the treatment of liver and gall bladder diseases, jaundice, cirrhosis, hepatitis and poisoning (including mushroom poisoning).
Milk thistle is part of the aster plant family, which includes thistles, artichokes and daises.
Silymarin is the main ingredient in milk thistle. Silymarin is both an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant.
As the medical community awaits further research, milk thistle appears to be a very safe option for liver-related ailments, especially for those who have or are using liver-toxic substances like alcohol or medications. Use milk thistle to protect the liver from potential damage from medications like acetaminophen, cholesterol lowering statin drugs, and the seizure medicine, phenytoin. Milk Thistle does a body good.
Always tell your doctor of any supplement you are taking. Milk thistle may interact with certain medications.
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Dear Friends,
The winter season is well underway and we will soon be seeing signs of Spring! This newsletter focuses on the liver, and important organ for cleansing our bodies. Read on to learn more about it and a Spring liver cleanse. Enjoy and please forward this to friends and family!
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The Liver
 99.9% of people that come into my office have liver issues. The liver is one of the largest organs of elimination. It filters the air we breathe, the toxins from the food we eat, and the toxins from the water we drink. It is the only organ of the body that can regenerate itself. Think of your liver as your personal filtering system. Suck in the bad and spit out the good.
The liver has many important functions that keep a person healthy. It removes harmful material from the blood stream and helps digest food. A functioning liver works as our bodies fat burning organ. It converts nutrients from the food we eat into essential blood components, storing vitamins, and minerals and producing proteins and enzymes to maintain hormonal balances in our bodies. The liver also helps our immune system fight infections, remove bacteria from the blood and make bile, which is essential for digesting our meals.
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Thai Chicken Soup
 1 tsp olive oil 3 tbsp minced shallots 2 tbsp minced fresh garlic 1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger 1 (14.5 ounce) can fat free low sodium chicken broth 3 (5-inch) pieces peeled fresh lemongrass, crushed 2 cups water 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless chicken 2 cups chopped bok choy 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves 2 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups hot cooked whole grain rice noodles 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add shallots, cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add garlic and ginger, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth, bring to a boil. Add lemongrass and 2 cups water to broth mixture, bring to a boil. Reduce heat: simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and bok choy, simmer 5 minutes. Discard lemon-grass. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, basil, lime juice, and salt. Place 1/2 cup noodles in each of 4 bowls, top each serving with 1 1/2 cups soup. Sprinkle with red pepper and serve.
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A Client's Success
Dear Lainy, I wanted to tell you how much i have benefitted from your help. I not only feel so much better but the results that I have received from you and your work have been confirmed by another doctor that I am working with. I must admit that there was a part of me that was skeptical given the long distance procedure. However, this concern was unnecessary. The other doctor tests via blood sample and her recommendation matched your suggestions. So I thank you for your help and appreciate all that you've done for me. Sincerely, Shirley Atlanta, Georgia |
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I hope you got some useful tidbits out of this month's newsletter. Please reach out to me if you feel tired, have pain, or have chronic symptoms that are asking for attention. And feel free to share this newsletter with friends!
Thank you,
Lainy Reicher, ND, CDN, CN
Website: www.woodstockvitalhealth.com |
Continued from Above:
The Liver
Problems with your liver can be inherited or can occur if your body is infected by any virus or harmful chemicals. The immune system protects our body from dangers, but it is the liver that protects the immune system from becoming overloaded.
The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is located below the diaphragm in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. An adult's liver weighs approximately 3 pounds and extends approximately from the right 5th rib to the lower border of the rib cage. The liver is separated into a right and left lobe. The working cells of the liver are known as hepatocytes. Hepatocytes have a unique capacity to reproduce in response to liver injury. Liver regeneration can occur after surgical removal of a portion of the liver or after injuries that destroy parts of the liver. Although the liver's ability to react to damage and repair itself is remarkable, repetitive insults can produce liver failure and death.
The liver is a metabolically active organ responsible for many vital life functions. The primary functions of the liver are: Bile production and excretion; Excretion of bilirubin, cholesterol, hormones and drugs; Metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates; Enzyme activation; Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals; Synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin, and clotting factors; Blood detoxification and purification. The liver can readily process nutrients absorbed from food as well as other contents of the portal blood. It also serves to eliminate harmful biochemical waste products and detoxify alcohol, certain drugs, and environmental toxins.
Due to these important activities, the liver is exposed to a number of insults and is one of the body's organs most subject to injury.
Liver Cleanse for Spring
Get some healthy, fresh, red, and preferably organic beets. Finely shred up one cup of beets with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a large lemon. Eat a tablespoon or two of this mixture every hour or two during the day for 10 days. After 10 days eat a mixture, in the same way, 3 days a week for 2-3 months. This is a powerful therapy for the liver. And it works even better if you combine it with foods that support your liver.
Foods that are good for the liver:
Lemons cleanse out toxic materials and aid the digestion process. Brussels sprouts and broccoli also increase the amount of glucosinate (organic compounds) in our bodies that help create enzyme production for digestion. Avocados produce an antioxidant called glutathione, which helps our liver to filter out harmful material. Garlic helps the liver activate enzymes that can flush out toxins. It also has high amounts of allicin and seleniu, both aid in liver cleansing.
In Chinese medicine, the liver represents old anger (from childhood) and the gall bladder represents present anger.
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